Rotary heat exchanger



Aug. 2, 1932.

J. M. LE GRAND ROTARY HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Nov. 15, 1930 INVENTOR A rronzr yzama Patented Aug. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH 1!. LE GRAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CARRIER ENGINEERING COB- PORATION, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ROTARY HEAT EXCHANGE Application filed November 15, 1930. Serial No. 485,907.

This invention relates to a rotary fan or impeller and particularly to a fan of this type ada ted for use as a heat exchanger.

An object of the present invention is to 5 provide a simple, compact, self-contained and effective unit for effecting transfer of heat to either heat or cool air within a relatively large space.

A further object of the invention is that the same member is used to heat or cool the air and also as a circulating means therefor.

A feature of importance of the present invention is that the fan includes hollow blades into which heated or cooled medium may be admitted and exhausted so that by rotation of the fan the air drawn past this fan by the action of its blades will have its temperature affected by intimate contact with the surfaces of the blades.

Another object of importance of the invention is that gases such as the products of combustion of a gas or oil burner, ammonia, sulphur dioxide, may be employed as the medium within the blades equally well as steam or other odorless and harmless vapors and gases for the reason that this medium is maintained entirely separate from the air bein cooled or heated, and is held confined within the fan until it is exhausted from its volute.

And finally it is an object to provide a heat exchanger in the form of a fan having the air being effected by the device forced axially through the rotary fan simultaneously with radial movement of the heat exchanging medium within the blades of the fan induced by centrifugal action due to the rotative speed of the circulating fan.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention includes the features of construction and operation set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification, I have shown my invention embodied in a. rotary fan having hollow blades detachably mounted u on a central hub portion, but it will be un erstood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawing is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of 'the invention, the claims appended to this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a complete fan made in accordance with the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation in section showing the construction of the blades.

In the above mentioned drawing I have shown but one embodiment of the invention which is now deemed preferable but it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the use of heat exchangers either to warm or cool a large space such as the complete floor or other art of a building, it is desirable to obtain e ective circulation of air within the space being treated and provide means to pass this air over heated or cooled surfaces in intimate contact therewith. The present invention, therefore, relates particularly to a means for effecting a rapid heat exchange by and within a compact and simple mechanism comprising a blower fan enabling a large mass of air within the space to be heated or cooled by being brought intimately into contact with the surfaces affected by the heat exchanging medium, the force used to effect circulation of the air within the space being treated efl'ecting intimate contact of the air against the heat exchanging surfaces.

Referring more in detail to the fi ures of the drawing, I show arotary impe ler fan having acentral shaft 10 and hub ortion 11 which may be rotated by any suita le means (not shown) at a relatively high velocity. Upon this shaft 10 and hub 11 are mounted radially disposed air circulating blades 12 set at an oblique angle as indicated by standard practice in the manufacture of fans of this type. These blades 12 are hollow and have the open space 13 within them directly associated with openings 14 within the hub memher or portion 11. At the peripheral edges of these blades 12 may be rovided one or more openings 15 closely ad a'cent a suitable anor other heated nular series of openings 16 within the inner wall of a volute 17 closely surrounding the peripheries of the blades 12.

Associated with the hub portion 11 of the fan is a tube or conduit 18 of suitable diameter through which may be admitted heated or cooled gases. A slip connection or freely rotatable joint 19 is interposed between this tube member 18 and the hub portion 11 so that the fan will be entirely free to rotate allowing the gases to pass into spaces within its hub portion 11. After entering the hub portion 11 of a blade 12 the gases or vapors are forced radially outward by centrifugal action due to the rotative speed of the fan.

The volute 17 forming the exhaustin means for the fan is shown as being mounte upon and supported by bracket members 20 upon the same support or column 21 roviding the bearing for the rotating sha t 10 of the fan structure. This volute 17 is adapted also to be directly attached to an exhaust conduit 22 shown fragmentarily in Fig. 1 permitting withdrawal of the gases passing through the fan blades 12 from the space being treated or conditioned.

In operation of the fan, which is designed in the embodiment shown primarly for and particularl adapted as a space heater, heated products 0 combustion of a gas or oil burner as or vapor are admitted through the tubu ar member 18 past the retatable joint 19 to the central or axial portion 11 formin the hub of the fan. From this point at t e hub 11 of the fan these gases or vapors are thrown radially outward through the open spaces 13 within the interior of the blades 12 by means of centrifu al force due to the rotative speed of the b ades 12 which forces the gases from the openings 15 within peripheries of the blades 12 into the annular space within the volute 17 closely surrounding the fan blades 12. It is to be understood, of course, that in place of heated prodnets of combustion of an oil or gas burner, steam or other heated as or air may be employed. Similarly, chi led air or other gases may be admitted as indicated above. The joint 19 between the intake member 18 and the hub 11 of the fan revents the gases entering the fan from ming ing'with the air being conditioned by the fan. The volute 17 serves to collect these ases as they emerge from the periphery of t e blades and prevents them from mingling with the air forced through the fan and heated or cooled by contact with the outside surfaces of the blades 12. The construction of the blades 12 is generally similar to that in fans the blades having their outside surfaces to efiicientl force air in stream lines past the fan, the b ades being made of metal having high heat conducting properlines past the fan, the blades being made of surfaces of the blades is rendered intimate bv the pressure exerted upon the air in moving it past the fan to efiect circulation of the air within the space being conditioned.

It is obvious that the heatin or conditioning medium sent through the lades may be recirculated and returned from the volute tothe member 18. If desired, heating or conditionin meanes may suitabl be arranged to modi y the temperature 0 the returned conditioning medium, in accordance with the requirements of the area to be heated or conditioned, before the medium again enters the blades.

What I claim is:

1. A heat exchanger comprising in combination, a support, a rotar fan mounted thereon having openings within its blades, means to as gases t rough the openings within said blades during rotation, means to collect the gases after having pxast through said blades closely adjacent t eir perip eries, said last means comprising a volute havin openings within its interior wall.

2. i heat exchanger comprising in combination, a support, a rota fan mounted thereon having openings within its blades means to pass gases throu h said blades, an a volute surrounding sai fan closely adjacent the ends of said blades having openings within its interior wall, whereb gases from said blades may be collected an withdrawn.

3. A conditioning unit comprising a fan havin hollow blades a hollow shaft mounting said fan, means for circulatin a conditioning medium through said a aft and 'blades and a volute surroundin the fan closel adjacent the ends of the lades for with rawing said medium from the blades.

4. A unit of the character described, having a fan, hollow blades on the fan, means for supplying a conditionin medium to sai blades and a volute surroun ing the fan having 0 nings for receiving said medium from the b ades.

5. In a device of the character described a fan including at least one blade rovide with a passage eadin from the fan ub outwardly to a point of ischar means within the hub for supplying conditioning medium tosaid assage, and vented means includin a volute in position to receive the medium schar (1 from said assafi.

6. n a device 0 the c aracter described, a hollow shaft having radial outlet ports a fan on the shaft havin hollow blades an a hub, the hub having in ct ports communicating with the rts of the shaft, the hollow blade having ischarge ports in the end portions of the blades, a vented scroll surrounding the periphery of the fan blade ath and having an inlet slot in the path 0 the fan blade discharge ports, the scroll walls on each side of the inlet slot converging outwardl with respect to the fan.

7. Iii a device of the character described, a fan having at least one hollow blade with ies III

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an inlet and a discharge, a scroll surrounding said fan having an inlet slot in the path of said discharge and means located to receive the discharged medium and to return it to the inlet.

8. A conditioning unit comprising a fan having hollow blades, a shaft mounting said fan, means for circulating a conditioning medium through said shaft and blades, a scroll surrounding the ri hery of the fan blade path having an in ct s 0t for withdrawing said medium from the blades, the scroll walls on each side of the inlet slot convergi outwardly with res ct to the fan.

fin testimony whereo I hereto aflix my signature.

JOSEPH M. LE GRAND.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. l, 869, 855.

August 2, 1932.

JOSEPH M. LE GRAND.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction out the words "lines past the fan, the blad the syllable and words "ties.

line 72, for the misspelled word "meanes" ters Patent should he read with these co conform to the record of the case in the P as follows: Page 2, line 63, strike es being made of" and insert instead The contact of the air against the lateral"; and read "means"; and that the said Letrrections therein that the same may atent Office.

Signed and sealed this 13th day of December, A. D. 1932.

(Seal) M. J.'Moore, Acting Commissioner of Patents.

1,eea,su

an inlet and a discharge, a scroll surrounding said fan having an inlet slot in the path of said discharge and means located to receive the discharged medium and to return it to the inlet.

8. A conditioning unit comprising a fan having hollow blades, a shaft mounting said fan, means for circulating a conditioning medium through said shaft and blades, a scroll surrounding the ri hery of the fan blade path having an in ct s 0t for withdrawing said medium from the blades, the scroll walls on each side of the inlet slot convergi outwardly with res ct to the fan.

fin testimony whereo I hereto aflix my signature.

JOSEPH M. LE GRAND.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. l, 869, 855.

August 2, 1932.

JOSEPH M. LE GRAND.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction out the words "lines past the fan, the blad the syllable and words "ties.

line 72, for the misspelled word "meanes" ters Patent should he read with these co conform to the record of the case in the P as follows: Page 2, line 63, strike es being made of" and insert instead The contact of the air against the lateral"; and read "means"; and that the said Letrrections therein that the same may atent Office.

Signed and sealed this 13th day of December, A. D. 1932.

(Seal) M. J.'Moore, Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

